Abnormal Psychology

Approved by the NCAA
All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - Completion of one year of high school social studies; Fall semester or Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Abnormal Psychology begins with an overview of human behavior, and then introduces students to various psychological disorders as well as the theoretical concepts that underlie each one. Students explore theoretical, clinical, and experimental perspectives on the study of psychopathology. Students learn terminology, classification, etiology, assessment, and treatment of each of the major disorders.  Upon completion of this course, the students are able to distinguish between normal and abnormal patterns of behavior.  This course features discussions, partner and group projects, and other activities that help students to recognize the ways that abnormal psychology manifests in the real world. The class is designed for eleventh and twelfth graders, and may be appropriate for mature tenth graders. Students wishing to pursue an abnormal psychology research or design project in Semester II may enroll in the Research/Design Seminar.  

For students continuing into Semester II, the course shifts into personalized, project-based work, where students engage in deep, sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment  as they journey through a self-designed, long-term research or design project on the topic of their choosing.  Guided by their One Schoolhouse teacher, students pursue individual study/self-assessment or collaborative seminar/peer-review.  Pathway options from which students might choose include: 
  • Spring Design Seminar:  In this seminar, students design a solution to a real-world problem.  Through the engineering design process/scientific method, students gather and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of their model or the accuracy of their hypothesis.  Students may prototype and produce a public product in this seminar.  
  • Spring Research Seminar:  In this seminar, students answer a theoretical or ethical question.  Utilizing the social science/humanities tools for source evaluation, students collect, critique, and evaluate artifacts or primary source documents to explore their thesis.  Students may create a written, multimedia, or artistic product in this seminar.  
Upon completion of their inquiry-driven project, students will have gained academic maturity and expanded their ability to engage in a diverse and changing world.  They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation.  Finally, they will have created and tested something useful of their own design or will be able to defend a position based on their own research
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

"Ms. Frye is the absolute best! She's been very flexible and accommodating."

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • Case studies - To increase critical thinking, case studies are assigned throughout the course. They include reading a vignette about an individual struggling with various mental health symptoms and a response to questions ranging from diagnosis to treatment options.
  • Podcast project - For the final assessment of the semester, students create their own Podcast episode on the topic of any disorder of their choice. The key to this assignment is finding a topic that is intrinsically interesting to the student and that they can speak passionately about. It can range from a discussion with someone about mental health or research about a favorite topic in abnormal psychology.
  • Thought papers will be assigned throughout the semester, and will consist of locating a recent event, news article, or peer-reviewed journal article, or personal experience and incorporating it into a two-page (double-spaced) discussion of a topic we have previously discussed. These papers are designed to help synthesize the material covered in the course with real-life application and to deepen understanding of the concepts in general.​
Leslee Frye
Social Sciences Teacher
BA University of Delaware
MS Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
EdS ​Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine